Gripper shuttle



J. V. CHERPIN GRIPPER SHUTTLE Dec. 29, 1964 Filed Feb. 7, 1962 III United States Patent ()ffice 3,163,18d Patented Dec. 29, 1%64 3,163,184 GRIPFER SHUTTLE Jean Victor Cherpin, 17 Rue Clemenceau, Qoars, Rhone, France Filed Feb. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 171,643 {Zlaims priority, applicaiionghrance, Feb. 10, 1961,

,21 15 carats. (Cl. 139-125 Said loom is designed in a manner such that the diiferent movements thereof are obtained with a very large allowance as to the moment of their starting.

According to the invention, the. cops usually positioned inside the shuttles are eliminated and replaced by thread spools of large capacity, located outside the loom so as to be operated in a continuous manner, the shuttle serving only as a thread-inserting means.

I have illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, a preferred embodiment of the improved loom. In said drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view of the shuttle;

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically the weaving loom as seen at one end;

FIG. 3 shows the same loom as in FIG. 2 as seen at the other end;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views of part of the shuttle with the clamping means respectively in their open and in their closed position.

The shuttle incorporates a pair of means for engaging the threads, one substantially on either side of the center of the shuttle. These means are identical, one being shown solid, the other in phantom in FIG. 1, and only one of said means is described hereinafter.

The shuttle undergoes a reciprocal movement passing through an open shed of warp yarns to deposit a weft yarn in the shed during each pass. In FIG. 2 there is shown the shuttle at one end of its reciprocal movement while in FIG. 3 it is shown at the other end of its reciprocal movement.

The weft threads 8 are introduced into the shuttle through stationary inserting means 1 secured to the loom body 18. Said inserting means are provided with an opening to permit passage therethrough of the thread 8. Said means 1 acts as a push member on the flat clamping arm 2 in the shuttle (FIGS. 1 and 5). The inserting means 1 is constituted by a round iron rod, somewhat flattened, and the arm 2 of the shuttle engages said stationary rod upon movement of the batten, upon closing of the shed. Means 1 introduces the thread 8 into the shuttle through opening 24 between the jaws 3 and 4 of the clamping means and then it contacts the clamping arm 2 which is rigid with the jaw 3 to pivot the arm 2 and the jaw 3 therewith about spindle 16. Said jaw 3 engages the thread 8 and holds it against the opposite jaw 4 which is independent of the jaw 3. Jaw 3, under the continuing thrust of means 1, causes jaw 4 to pivot 536m spindle 16 to a position in which the clamping arm 2 is locked. Said clamping arm 2 contacts, at the end of its pivotal movement, a hook formed on the latch '7. The jaw 4 which is loosely fitted so as to pivot about spindle 16 is associated with a spring 14 urging the jaw 4 towards a ridge 21 formed in the body of the shuttle 23 and constituting a stop for jaw 4 (FIG. 4). When the clamping arm 2 is locked by the latch 7, the jaw 4 has been displaced from stop 21 and is engaged with the jaw 3 to hold the thread between the jaws, whereby a clamping operation of the thread is performed. The jaws 3, 4 thus institute a clamping means for engaging theweft thread 8.

The shuttle body 23 is open at 24 substantially throughout its length but it retains its four solid corners so as not to engage the warp threads as the shuttle passes through the shed.

The clamping means engages the thread 8 at the end of the stroke of the shuttle whereat the clamping means is located between the inserting means 1 and the fabric 12 being woven. The heights of said jaws are different and cooperate with different stops 2t) and 21 positioned in a manner such that when said jaws are inoperative and abut against the stop, the jaws are open and in threadreleasing position, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The jaw 4 is free and independent and moves only under the action of the jaw 3 which urges it away from stop 21 and against the action of spring 14 into a closing position. Throughout its pivotal movement, the jaw 4 is clamped against jaw 3.

The jaw 4 serves also for stopping the thread 8 in the inserting means 1 and constrains said thread to enter between jaws 3 and 4.

The jaw 3 which, as stated, is rigid with the clamping arm 2, is caused to move by said arm 2 against the action of the spring 13. The jaw 3 is adapted to occupy two extreme positions, an open position in contact with the stop 20 and a closed position in which the clamping arm 2 is locked, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. The jaw 3 has a lateral hook 9 (FIG. 1). When the thread 8 is cut between the shuttle and the fabric 12, the depending cut end of the thread 8 is urged back onto the shuttle, and extends to either side of the jaw 3. In order not to lose the thread, the hook 9 constrains the thread, when the clamping means is opened, to slide over the jaw 3 and to extend inside the shed along the edge of the fabric 12.

The spindle 16 which supports the clamping means constituted by the two jaws 3 and 4, is positioned laterally along the side of the clamping arm 2. The inserting means 1 acts on the clamping arm 2 and does not contact the jaws 3 and 4 which are longitudinally spaced therefrom when the shuttle is at the end of its stroke.

The latch 7 is constituted by a hook with a stop notch and is supported on a cam 6, associated with a spring 22 (FIG. 1) which holds the latch in its operative position. The clamping arm 2, when subjected to the thrust of the inserting means 1, pivots and slides over the latch 7, so as to automatically engage the stop notch in the latter after it has caused the spring 22 to yield. This provides a locking and stoppage of the clamping arm 2 in the operative position thereof to secure the thread 8 between the jaws 3 and 4.

The cam 6 has a rounded shape and projects slightly above the shuttle body 23, and the cam is adapted to pivot about an axis. The cam 6 is held in its operative position by the spring 22 to automatically lock the clamping arm 2. The cam is caused to pivot when the cam engages the stop 11 to cause opening of the jaw 3 at the end of the passage of the shuttle through the shed, so as to release the thread 8., Each of the means for engaging the thread includes a cam, and the cams 6, 6' respectively cooperate with a separate stop 11, 11 respectively located at opposite ends of the shed. The stops are laterally offset so that earn 6 freely passes the location at which stop 11 is positioned, and cam 6' freely passes the location at which stop 11 is positioned. Both cams are located centrally in the shuttle so as to prevent the warp threads, which hold the shuttle somewhat rigidly at the beginning and at the end of its stroke, from acting on said cams.

The stop 11 is adapted to contact the cam 6 of the shuttle, so as to release the thread 3 when the shuttle and shed opens.

amazes all) the thread therewith has passed through the shed. The stop 11 contacts and pivots the cam 6 to raise the latch 7 which holds the clamping arm 2 in locked position. The raising of the latch releases the clamping arm 2 and the jaw 3 therewith which releases the thread 3. The stop lLi is stationary and is supported on the batten 17 of the weaving loom just above the path followed by the shuttle. The stop 11 is located on the batten at a position relative to the stroke of the shuttle so that the end 3a of the released thread 8 may reach the selvedge of the fabric 12.

The above explanation of the cooperation of stop it and cam 6 is, of course, equally applicable to the cooperation of stop 11', and cam 6 during the opposite stroke of the shuttle. In this respect it may be pointed out that Weft threads 8 from spools and 15 may be of different thickness and color to obtain desired variation in the woven fabric 12.

The stops 11, 11' are of elongated shape and have two cutting edges respectively at the front and at the rear, so that they may engage the warp threads in parallel relation. The movement of the batten causes said stops to move into and out of the warp sheets.

Knives 19 are required for cutting the weft threads from each of the bobbins for successively separating the pick inserted in the fabric 12 from the pick which is next to be incorporatedin the fabric. The knives 1% are inserted between the fabric 12 and the clamping means on the shuttle. The knives are secured to the loom frame 18 and face in the direction of progression of the fabric 312. knives are controlled by the batten of the frame and operate at each pick. Since the knives are stationary, they pass through the reed at the closing of the shed and the thread 8 passes over the knives and cannot recede since, in the latter position, the knives 19 act as a hook. The thread 8 cannot engage the cutting portions of the hook-shaped knives unless the threads are engaged by the clamping means of the shuttle and drawn with the latter when the Said receding movement provided by the traction exerted by the shuttle causes the thread to respectively engage the corresponding knife. Otherwise, the thread will remain in front of the knives between the inserting means 1 and the fabric 12 when the shuttle lies in the opposite shuttle box.

The novel feature associated with the knife 1% consists in the location occupied by its half-way through the shed, so that the thread may pass from the rear to the front of the knife and also half-way through the distance separating the distance separating the fabric 12 from the clamping means on the shuttle when the shed is open, so that the thread cannot engage the cutting section of the knife unless it has actually been taken hold of by the shuttle. Otherwise the thread 8 would not be cut and would be taken hold of during the next pick.

Thread-tensioning means carried by the batten of the loom is constituted by a boss 26 adapted to tension the thread 8 between the inserting means 1 and the corresponding feed spools 15, 15', whereby the engagement of the thread inside the clamping means is promoted upon closing of the shed. At the opening of said shed, the reverse operation is obtained, leaving a slack strand which allows the thread 8 to start more smoothly.

In the case of Jacquard looms, it is possible to insert a different color weft thread at each end and thereby obtain two colored fabrics. For a larger number of colors itis necessary to provide several inserting means such as 1 on the control system for the rising shuttle boxes.

The operation of the apparatus for one pick from bobbin 15 is as follows:

The thread 8 from the bobbin 15 is first threaded through the opening in the pick-inserting means 1 and into the fabric 12, through the open hed. The loom is then started and the shed closes while the shuttle is urged against the inserting means l, which enters the shuttle between the clamping means on the latter and the feed bobbin 15, to contact the clamping arm 2 rigid with the jaw 3. The clamping arm is caused to pivot about spindle 16 and at the same time the thread 3 is introduced between th jaws 3 and 4. The thread 8 engages the jaw 4 which is higher than the jaw 3, jaw 4 causing the thread to sink down to the bottom of the clamping means. The jaw 3 pivoting round its spindle if: under the action of the thrust of the inserting means It, catches the thread 8 and clamps said thread against the jaw after which the jaw 3 continues pivoting about spindle ltd under the thrust of inserting means 1 towards its locked position and while causing jaw to pivot away from stop 21.

The jaw i compresses spring 14 as the jaw 4 is pivoted by the jaw 3, to securely retain the thread 5 between the jaws. When the thread ii is securely held by the clamping means, the batten 1'? recedes so as to open the shed and the batten carries along with it the shuttle and the thread 8. The thread 8 from the fabric 112 is slightly stretched between the clamping means and the fabric 12, which promotes the cutting of the thread 8 by the knife 19 to separate the preceding pick and to allow the shuttle to start moving freely through the shed.

The shuttle passes through the loom, but before the shuttle passes out of the sheets of warp threads, the cam 6 contacts the stop 11 to open the clamping means. The released thread remains between the warp sheets, while its depending end slides into the hook 9 and progresses so as to reach the selvcdge of the fabric 12. The shuttle is now disengaged from the thread 3 and enters the other shuttle box to repeat the same operation with thread 3. However, upon closing of the shed for the engagement of thread 8' on the other end of the frame, the following operation is performed.

The thread 8 which has just been inserted is introduced into the fabric 12. and passes over the knife is and, upon opening of the shed, it remains in front of said knife 19 between the fabric 12 and the inserting means 1 Without engaging the cutting portion of the knife 19 because it has not been drawn along by the shuttle and remains free to be taken hold of by the shuttle when it returns into the cooperating shuttle box. In fact, if the threads were cut at such a moment, the shuttle would have no thread to engage for the subsequent pick. The cycle of operation continues thereafter. It should be noted that the thread 8 is initially perpendicular to the shuttle instead of being parallel therewith, so that the thread 8 may start more smoothly, which is of interest when operating with threads having a reduced resistance.

What 1 claim is:

1. In a loom, the combination of stationary inserting means for weft thread, said means being provided with an opening for passage of said thread therethrough, a shuttle provided with a longitudinal opening, the shuttle being adapted for being moved across the loom between end positions, the loom forming a shed along the path r the shuttle, a spindle extending adjacent said opening and rigidly secured inside the shuttle, a clamping arm pivotally supported on said spindle and adapted to be contacted by the inserting means when the shuttle is at an end position thereof, two jaws pivotally supported on said spindle for pivoting respectively in unison with the clamping arm to clamp between said jaws the thread carried by the inserting means, a latch supported in the shuttle for engaging the clamping arm upon actuation of the latter by the inserting means to hold the clamping arm, means on the loom supported in stationary relation for releasing the latch, a stationary knife extending be tween the fabric being woven and the inserting means, said knife including a hook adapted to engage the weft thread and to cut the same only after engagement of said thread by the shuttle.

2. In a loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaws are supported on said spindle to clamp the thread perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the shuttle.

3. In a loom, the combination of stationary inserting means for weft thread, said means being provided with an opening for passage of said thread therethrough, a shuttle provided with a longitudinal opening, the shuttle being adapted for being moved across the loom between end positions, the loom forming a shed along the path of the shuttle, a spindle extending adjacent said opening and rigidly secured inside the shuttle, a clamping arm pivotally supported on said spindle and adapted to be contacted by the inserting means when the shuttle is at an end position, two jaws pivotally supported on said spindle for pivoting respectively in unison with the clamping arm to clamp between said jaws the thread carried by the inserting means, one of said jaws being secured to said clamping arm, the other jaw being independent therefrom, the latter jaw lying between the clamping arm and said one jaw and having a radial length which is greater than that of said one jaw, two springs each engaging a corresponding jaw and resisting pivotal movement of the clamping arm by the inserting means, a stop against which each jaw rests upon the action of its corresponding spring to angularly space the jaws in an inoperative position, a hook on said one jaw and adapted to engage the end of the released thread upon opening of the jaws, a latch supported in the shuttle for engaging the clamping arm upon actuation of the latter by the inserting means to hold the clamping arm, means on the loom supported in stationary relation for releasing the latch, a stationary knife extending between the fabric being woven and the inserting means, said knife including a hook adapted to engage the weft thread and to cut the same only after engagement of said thread by the shuttle.

4. In a loom wherein a shuttle undergoes longitudinal reciprocal movement through a shed of warp threads to deposit weft threads therein and the shuttle undergoes movement at the end of each of the longitudinal strokes;

weft supply means located outside said shuttle at each of the ends of the longitudinal strokes, clamping means in said shuttle normally open for engaging a weft thread from said weft supply means at the end of each longitudinal stroke of the shuttle, fixedly secured inserting means engaging said weft thread and operative to feed said weft thread to the clamping means and actuate the latter to engage said thread during said movement at the end of each longitudinal stroke of the shuttle, cutting means for severing the engaged weft thread from a previously deposited weft thread in the shed, and means for releasing the clamping means to release the weft thread therein at the end of the stroke of the shuttle remote from the respective weft supply means.

5. A loom comprising a shuttle adapted for undergoing longitudinal reciprocal movement across said loom and reciprocal movement transverse to the longitudinal reciprocal movement at the end of each of the longitudinal strokes, fixedly secured inserting means located at the ends of the longitudinal stroke and engaging weft thread, clamping means in said shuttle associated with a re spective inserting means for engaging the weft thread associated with each inserting means and carrying the same during a longitudinal stroke of the shuttle, each said clamping means normally being open, each said inserting means being operative to feed a weft thread to the associated said clamping means and to close the same during said transverse reciprocal movement of the shuttle at a respective end of a longitudinal stroke, each said clamping means enabling said shuttle to draw the engaged weft thread therewith during a subsequent longitudinal stroke, means for opening said clamping means for releasing said thread therefrom at the completion of said subsequent stroke, said shuttle then moving to the inserting means at the end of said subsequent stroke at which time the associated clamping means is again fed with a weft thread and engages the same, and fixedly secured cutting means located adjacent and intermediate each of the inserting means in the direction of the stroke of the shuttle, sm'd cutting means being each operative to cut said-thread at the end of transverse reciprocal movement of said shuttle at each end of the longitudinal stroke.

6. A loom as claimed in claim 5 wherein said clamping means includes a pair of jaws pivotally supported in said shuttle normally in open position, a clamping arm secured to one of said jaws and also pivotally supported in said shuttle, said inserting means contacting said clamping arm to pivotally move the same and the jaw secured thereto until the jaws are in contact whereafter furtherpivotal movement of said clamping arm causes both said jaws to move together.

7. A loom as claimed in claim 6 wherein said inserting means includes an elongated member having an opening through which passes said weft thread, said elongated member contacting said clamping arm while feeding the weft thread between the jaws.

8. A loom as claimed in claim 7 wherein said elongated member faces said shuttle when the latter is at said one end of said stroke, said shuttle moving towards and away from said elongated member during said transverse reciprocal movement.

9. A loom as claimed in claim 5 comprising weft supply means fixedly secured adjacent said inserting means for feeding weft thread thereto.

10. A loom as claimed in claim 7 wherein said cutting means comprises a knife fixedly supported adjacent said elongated member and also facing said shuttle.

11. A loom as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttle has a body provided with a longitudinally extending opening, said inserting means facing said opening and penetrating into said shuttle through said opening to operate the respective said clamping means to close the same and engage the weft thread.

12. A loo-m as claimed in claim 11 wherein said inserting means each includes an elongated member having an opening through which freely passes said weft thread, said elongated member facing said opening and penetrating thereinto as said shuttle undergoes transverse reciprocal movement at each end of the longitudinal stroke.

13. A loom as claimed in claim 6 comprising a spring for each jaw urging the same to a limit position in which the jaws are open, the springs being compressed upon pivotal movement of the jaws caused by pivotal movement of the clamping arm.

14. A loom as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for opening said jaws for releasing said thread therefrom comprises a fixedly supponted stop positioned along the longitudinal path of travel of the shuttle, and cam means operatively coupled to said clamping means and engageable by said stop to permit said clamping means to open.

15. A loom as claimed in claim 6 wherein said one jaw includes a hook portion for retaining the weft thread after the latter has been severed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,102,110 Wahl June 30, 1914 1,410,518 Smith Mar. 21, 1922 1,564,603 Martin Dec. 8, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 544,960 France July 8, 1922 

1. IN A LOOM, THE COMBINATION OF STATIONARY INSERTING MEANS FOR WEFT THREAD, SAID MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING FOR PASSAGE OF SAID THREAD THERETHROUGH, A SHUTTLE PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINAL OPENING, THE SHUTTLE BEING ADAPTED FOR BEING MOVED ACROSS THE LOOM BETWEEN END POSITIONS, THE LOOM FORMING A SHED ALONG THE PATH OF THE SHUTTLE, A SPINDLE EXTENDING ADJACENT SAID OPENING AND RIGIDLY SECURED INSIDE THE SHUTTLE, A CLAMPING ARM PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SPINDLE AND ADAPTED TO BE CONTACTED BY THE INSERTING MEANS WHEN THE SHUTTLE IS AT AN END POSITION THEREOF, TWO JAWS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SPINDLE FOR PIVOTING RESPECTIVELY IN UNISON WITH THE CLAMPING ARM TO CLAMP BETWEEN SAID JAWS THE THREAD CARRIED BY THE INSERTING MEANS, A LATCH SUPPORTED IN THE SHUTTLE FOR ENGAGING THE CLAMPING ARM UPON ACTUATION OF THE LATTER BY THE INSERTING MEANS TO HOLD THE CLAMPING ARM, MEANS ON THE LOOM SUPPORTED IN STATIONARY RELATION FOR RELEASING THE LATCH, A STATIONARY KNIFE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FABRIC BEING WOVEN AND THE INSERTING MEANS, SAID KNIFE INCLUDING A HOOK ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE WEFT THREAD AND TO CUT THE SAME ONLY AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF SAID THREAD BY THE SHUTTLE. 